Resilient cushioning device



Dec. s, 1953 l.. s. wlLBuR 2,661,943

`REISILIENT CUSHIONING DEVICE Filed Fel?, l5, 1951 Ind/72271 Lafeace 5. Zlqr.

Patented Dec. 8, 1953 UNITED STATES" PATENT orifice RESILIENT CUSHIONING DEVICE Lawrence S. Wilbur, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Flexible Metals Corporation, Chicago, Ill., a

corporation of Illinois Application February 15, 1951, Serial No. 211,099

5 claims. l

This invention relates to improvements in resilient cushioning devices Which have many and varied applications in industry. The present application is a continuation in part of my co-pending application, Serial No. 195,576, led November 14, 1950.

In my said prior application I have shown ya resilient cushioning device comprising a stack Vof resilient metal plates provided with means in combinations of rubber and other materials, or

natural Vor synthetic materials having the required properties of compressibility and resili ence. Y

The filler material above referred to may be in the form of substantially solid blocks of such material or the said blocks may be of cellular construction in which the cells or pores may be of Y varying size so as to vary the compressibility of the block.

It is furthermore contemplated by the present invention that the said blocks or pads of resilient conipressible material may be made of varying density Vso as to vary their compressielity and their resilience iorvarying load conditions.

In my present invention, then, i combine with`v the resistance of resilient metal plates the added resistance offered by masses of resilient compressible material, thus Vobtedning in the combined structure the resistancev of both theY plates and.VY

It will be understood that the filler material. it is within the contemplation of the present invention that the proportions of metal to filler material may be greatly varied so as tov vary the part of the total resistance to load which may be oilered either by the metal plates or the resilient ller material, or both. The invention of the present application ha many advantages over the structure ofimy above referred to ofi-pending application. Among such advantages may be mentioned (l) increasing the load capacity for `a given vol-unie; (2) prolong-ing the life of the structure; (3) providing for a Wider range of adj-ustability for varying loads (4.).- permitting'the use oi thi-nner'metal plates; (5)- elimi- 2 inating noise; (6) providing for movement in many directions; and (7) sealing theV structure against the elements.

Where, in my present inventiornl use rubber, Whether natural or synthetic or combinations thereof, vitis contemplated that the rubber filler material may be vulcanized to the metal plates, if desired, or the filler material Vmay simplyA be loosely placed between the plates in the stack.

Itis further pointed out that the blocks or pads of ller material may be of gradually increasing thickness from the top of the stack tothe bottom, with the result that the device Will hardly ever bottom, there being always some cornpressibility left in the bottom layer, unless it be attempted to use the device to support a load beyond its intended range of activity.

Other objects 'and advantages of the invention will be more fully brought out as the description proceeds.

In the accompanying drawings, I have illustrated several practical embodiments of my inventionvbut it is to be .understood that the drawings are illustrative merely and that there is no intention to confine my invention to the details thereof. Once the basic idea of my invention is understood by those skilled in the art, it will be readily apparent how the invention may be embodied in other forms Without departing from. the spirit thereof or from its scope, as defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is va View in sectionof one embodiment of my invention showing the relative position of the parts before compression under load;

Fig.. 2, is a view similar to Fig. l showing the device compressed;

- Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. l showing a modiiication in which the spacing elements are in the form of solid ribs as distinguished from corrugations;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. l showing another modification in which the spacing elements are of gradually increasing height from top to bottom of the stack and the pads or blocks of llermaterial are of correspondingly graduallyincreasing thickness;

Eig. 'tlV is a' view also similar to Fig. l showing a further modification of the invention; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view similar to Fig. 1 showing a means for precompressing the stack of plates and fillers.

f Referring now to the dra-wings, and particularlyte Figi,- reierence numeral ifi indicates a resilient metal plate, such as steel or the like, provided with a plurality of corrugations Ii extending in parallelism across one face of the plate.

Fig. l shows a plurality of such plates III arranged in a stack with the corrugations I I of the respective plates staggereL with respect to each other. yhis arrangement is the same :as that which is shown in my said co-pending application.

The stack of plates shown in Fig. 1 is confined within a container I2 which serves to keep the plates in proper assembled relation, although permitting some lateral play by reason of the clearance between the edges of the plates and the inside wall oi said container. The container I2 also serves as a guide for the up and down movement of said plates when they are subjected to the compressive action of a load and the subsequent release thereof.

The outstanding novelty in the present application, as distinguished from my said co-pending -f application, is the provision of a plurality of locks or pads I3 of resilient compressible Inaterial, which said blocks or pads are located in the spaces between the metal plates lil.

As heretofore stated, the said blocks or pads I3 may be made of natural rubber or synthetic rubber, or combinations of rubber and other materials, or suitable plastic compositions, so long as the material possesses the essential characteristics of compressibility and resilience.

In Fig. 1 the pads or blocks I3 do not entirely iill the spaces between the plates I6 but some clearance is provided adjacent the ribs or corrugations I I. This is so that when the pads or blocks I3 are compressed there may be suiTlcient space for the material to dow For illustrative purposes, I have indicated in Fig. l by the reference character Ill any device that is intended to be supported upon my resilient cushioning device. The device indicated by the reference numeral I4 may be anything at all that needs to be resiliently supported. It may be an engine mounting, it may be a portion of a vehicle frame, it may be part of a railroad crossing, etc.

In Fig. 2, I have illustrated diagrammatically the compression of my resilient cushioning device as effected by movement of the diagrammatically illustrated element Ill. It will be seen that the metal plates it are bent about the spacing elements or corrugations II and that the pads or blocks of resilient material I3 are also acted upon by the load so as to spread out or flow in the spaces between the'plates.

The diagrammatic illustration in Fig. 2 may be said to represent a rather eXtreme condition which is to say that the relationship between the compressibility of the stack and the load to be supported thereon is such as virtually to compact the metal plates and the blocks of iiller material into a substantially solid structure. However, even in this exaggerated form, there will still be suicient resilience and compressibility left in my device to take even a heavier load.

As heretofore pointed out, the pads or blocks i3 of resilient compressible material may be so made as to vary the density thereof `from the top of the stack to the bottom; that is to say, pads or blocks of relatively low density and therefore correspondingly high compressibility may be located at the top of the stack; the degree of density may then gradually Vary until at the bottom of the stack will be located pads or blocks of great density and therefore correspondingly lower compressibility. In this way the device of my invention may be so arranged that the top of the stack will respond rather quickly and easily to the initial load impact and then as the load continues to move, gradually greater and greater resistance will be ofered.

Upon release of the load, the device will work in exactly the opposite direction and thus the return of the load member It to its initial position will not be a sharp movement but a gradual one, as was the case when the load moved downwardly.

In order to secure varying density for the dii ferent layers of blocks or pads I3, I may make said blocks or pads of cellular material. This may be rubber or it may be many of the plast'c materials available on the market today. Such plastic materials may be made with voids of different sizes so that the compressibility of the material is thereby varied, as desired.

Pursuing the explanation heretofore given, if plastic masses containing voids be used, it may be desirable to have the more compressible pads at the top of the stack and the less compressible pads at or near the bottom.

In Fig. 3, I have shown a modification of the invention in which my resilient cushioning device comprises a series of resilient metal plates IE, oi steel or the like, which are provided with .Solid ribs or projections Il which extend in substantial parallelism across one face thereof. In this form, also, the spaces between the plates I5 are filled, or partially filled, with blocks or pads oi compressible resilient material It, of the character heretofore described.

With respect to Fig. 3, it is pointed out that I have shown the plates I5 as of gradually in creasing thickness rom the top of the sta l: lro the bottom. This is another way oi securing gradually Vincreasing' resistance to compression from the top of the stack toward the bottom as explained in my previously mentioned copend ing application.

In Fig. 4, I show still another modification of the present invention. In this figure, have shown. the resilient metal plates as provided to the bottom. The result of this arrangement that the spaces between adjacent plates become gradually greater in the downward direction and therefore the interposed lillers 22 are of gradually increasing thickness from the top ci stack to the bottom. This, again, is another way oi sccuring a Varying degree of resistance to load from the top of the stack to the bottom. l'n this modication, the filler pads or blocks 22 may also be made of gradually increasing density from thc top of the stack to the bottom.

In Fig. 5, I show still another modification of the invention. In this figure, I show a series of resilient metal plates i5 having projections 2s and 21 extending from opposite faces of the plates, together with flat plates g8 interposed between adjacent pairs of plates 2li. By this arrangement of projections on the plates, the bending movement of the plates under compression may be desirably restricted.

The said projections 23 and 2l may extend the same distance from their respective faces of the plates or they may be Varied, as desired. For eX- ample, the projections 2l may extend from the bottom faces of the plates a greater distance than the projections 2a extend from the upper faces thereof. It is also within my contemplation that the projections may vary in their extent from the top of the stack to the bottom. Thus, I provide in this embodiment considerable latitude for the building of a structure which will properly support and cushion loads of varying amount.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 5, it Will be understood that the features heretofore described in connection with Figs. 1, 3 and 4 may also be incorporated, including the placing of filler blocks or pads 29 of compressible resilient material.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of an arrangement such as that shown in Fig. 1. The corners of the metal plates 30 and filler pads or blocks 3| are provided with registering openings, through which passes a bolt 32. A nut 33 is provided for the bolt and this may be turned down so as to place the stack of plates and filler pads under a predetermined initial compression. By this arrangement, a stack of plates and filler members may be assembled and by means of the bolts and nuts 32 and 33 the stack may be initially compressed to a desired degree. In this way, one may design the structure for a predetermined load and adjust the amount of precompression so that the stack will not yield until the load becomes greater than the precompression applied to the stack. This is, then, another Way of varying the compressibility of the stack to suit the degree of load to which it is required to respond in actual practice.

While I have shown the metal plates of this embodiment of my invention to be provided with corrugations or ribs extending in substantial parallelism across one or both faces of the metal plates, I do not intend to limit myself to such construction. It will be clear that suitable spacing devices other than such ribs or corrugations may be provided. For example, the metal plates may be provided with a plurality of discrete protuberances arranged in a plurality of diiferent patterns on one or both faces of the plate and the ller pads or blocks may be correspondingly shaped to conform to the spaces so produced.

It will be understood that the invention herein disclosed may be useful for all the purposes of the 6 plates being stackedv with the projections on one plate in contact with the flat portions of an adjacent plate, and resilient compressible material in the spaces between the plates.

2. A resilient cushioning 'device comprising a plurality of resilient metal plates stacked one upon another, a plurality of protuberances on certain of said plates, others of said plates having fiat portions in contact with said protuberances,

,Y of the applied pressure.

structure described in my previously mentioned prior application. IParticularly, it is to be understood that the device itself, in any of the forms herein described, may be used as a unit to support resiliently any desired load and it may also be used somewhat as a shim to bolster up existing spring structures.

I claim as my invention:

1. A resilient cushioning device comprising a plurality of resilient plates stacked one upon another, said plates having a plurality of projections with fiat portions between said projections, said 4. A resilient cushioning device comprising a plurality of resilient metal plates stacked one upon another, a plurality of protuberances on f certain of said plates, others of said plates having flat portions in contact with said protuberances, said protuberances being of gradually changing height from the top of the stack toward the bottom and thus providing spaces of gradually different height between the plates, and resilient compressible material in said spaces.

5. A resilient cushioning device comprising a plurality of resilient metal plates stacked one upon another, said plates being of gradually different thicknesses from the top of the stack to- ,n

ward the bottom, a plurality of protuberances on certain of said plates, others of said plates having flat portions in contact with said protuberances, thus providing spaces between the plates, and resilient compressible material substantially lling said spaces.

LAWRENCE S. WILBUR.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,532,565 Winestock Apr. 7, 1925 1,572,735 McNeil Feb. 9, 1926 2,260,532 Lindeman Oct. 28, 1941 2,551,505 Olson May 1, 1951 2,559,105 Banning July 3, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date i 140,465 Great Britain June 20, 1921 564,578 France Oct. 22, 1923 

